Search this blog and The Mike's favorite blogs!

February 22, 2010

Robots get a bad rap. Whether it's the T-800 and ups from the Terminator series or 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL-9000, they're often the aggressors to some pretty noble dudes and dudettes. But somewhere aside from the metal terrors of films like Hardware and Runaway (I LOVE ME SOME RUNAWAY!), there are some robots who the ladies might say are pretty fly. With no further ado, I look at my Top 5.Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still- If you have to ask which version of this movie I'm talking about, quit reading my blog and go watch the 1951 classic. Then, be quiet. Anyway, if robots were professional wrestlers, Gort would be the late-WCW superstar Goldberg - because when he shows up, he shuts EVERYTHING down. The unstoppable Gort is quite a menacing presence, but we know he's on the side of good and only steps into action when the noble Klaatu is at risk. If that doesn't Barada your Nikto, check your pulse.Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet - Look at that sly devil! If it can please Anne Francis, it's good enough for me. Plus Robby's got a ton of fantastic features and, like Gort, is only volatile when the situation requires it. And then there's the alcohol production thing, which isn't my style, but which many enjoy responsibly. Kudos to you, Roberto Roboto.R2-D2 from the Star Wars trilogy (What do you mean "prequels"?) - Yes, this is too easy. But do you think you could put up with C-3PO for three movies? Yeah, I couldn't either. Plus he can always use the pickup line "Is that a holographic Princess Leia in my pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" 60% of the time, it works every time.XG-7000 from Robot Repair, et al. (via Saturday Night Live) - OK, this one definitely has trouble staying cool. If you haven't seen the skit, it's the undeniably awesome Phil Hartman who plays the robotic star of "Robot Repair", a mistitled show in which he repairs everyday items - not robots. Like I said, he loses his cool as his producers continue to change the show's misleading title with disastrous results (my favorite is Let's Repair, Robots), but who hasn't wanted to kill the producers of a wronged TV show at some point? That's very cool.GERTY from Moon - Voiced by Kevin Spacey, GERTY is one of the most shockingly cool robots of our time. Unlike the HAL-9000 types he resembles, GERTY really shows a care for Sam, his human companion, up to the point of making sacrifices on behalf of him. Plus, if you can find the DVD Easter Egg, he's a heckuva ping pong player!